The present invention relates to an operating device to be mounted on a front side of a main apparatus, as well as an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which are each provided with such an operating device.
An information processing apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus or the like, includes a main apparatus and an operating device for receiving an entry of an operation for controlling the main apparatus. It has been a conventional practice to fix such an operating device to the main apparatus. In recent years, however, demands exist for an operating device having an operating panel of which the angle of inclination can be varied to an angle desired by the user in accordance with the standing position of the user and the height of the user's eyes for the convenience of not only physically unimpaired persons but also physically impaired persons including wheel chair users.
In view of such demands, one known operating device has an operating panel which becomes free to pivot when an unlock button is depressed to unlock the operating panel positioning lock, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-127846 for example.
Another known operating device has an arrangement wherein: the angle of inclination of an operating panel can be maintained by frictional engagement force exerted between a frictional member provided on a main apparatus and a support shaft provided on the operating panel by pressing the frictional member against the support shaft; and the frictional member can be released from the state of pressing against the support shaft by pressing an operating lever to allow the operating panel to pivot, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-096467 for example.
With such conventional operating devices, however, the user has to perform the unlocking operation by depressing the unlock button or pressing the operating lever with his or her first hand while holding the operating panel with the second hand to prevent the operating panel from pivoting down by its own weight and then perform the locking operation by the first hand while keeping the operating panel at a desired angle of inclination with the second hand. Thus, the conventional operating devices require that the both hands of the user should be used to vary the angle of inclination of the operating panel and hence are poor in operability.
A feature of the present invention is to provide an operating device which allows the user to vary the angle of inclination of the operating panel with one hand, as well as an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which are each provided with such an operating device.